A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high-speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are most often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans.
Motorsports became important in the evolution of the grand touring concept, and grand touring entries are important in endurance sports-car racing. The grand touring definition implies material differences in performance, speed, comfort, and amenities between elite cars and those of ordinary motorists.
The grand touring designation generally “means motoring at speed, in style, safety, and comfort”.[18] “Purists define “gran turismo” as the enjoyment, excitement and comfort of open-road touring.
Grand tourers emphasize comfort and handling over straight-out high-performance or ascetic, spartan accommodations. most GTs have been front-engined with rear-wheel drive, which creates more space for the cabin than mid-mounted engine layouts. Softer suspensions, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their appeal.
Among the many variations of GT are:
GTA: Gran turismo alleggerita – the Italian word for lightweight. GTAm indicates a modified version. GTA is also sometimes used for automatic transmission models.
GTB: Gran turismo berlinetta[24]
GTC: Various uses including “gran turismo compressore” for supercharged engines, “gran turismo cabriolet”, “gran turismo compact”, “gran turismo Crossover” and “gran turismo corsa” – the Italian word for “racing”.
GTD: “Gran turismo diesel”
GT/E: “Gran turismo Einspritzung” – the German word for “fuel injection”[25]
GTE: “Grand touring estate”
GTi or GTI: “Grand touring injection”, mostly used for hot hatches following the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf GTi[26]
GTO: “Gran turismo omologato” – the Italian word for “homologation”[27][28]
GTR or GT-R: “Gran turismo racing”
GTS: sometimes “Gran Turismo Spider” for convertible models. However, GTS has also been used for saloons and other body styles.
GT-T: “Gran turismo turbo”
GTV: “Gran turismo veloce” – the Italian word for “fast”[29]
GTX: “Grand tourisme extreme”
HGT: “High gran turismo”
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